


Cycle 71

by anonymous_moose



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Rescue Missions, The Stolen Century
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-12-25 21:55:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12045069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anonymous_moose/pseuds/anonymous_moose
Summary: A hundred years, a hundred worlds, a hundred stories. The seventy-first starts off poorly (though not nearly as poorly as some) and honesty, like violence, can be brutal.Taako is fed up. Magnus feels guilty. Lup lashes out. Merle saves the day.





	1. Spite

Taako woke up to a bucket of cold water in the face. He yelped comically, sputtered, and spat.

That's when he realized his hands were bound -- no, hands and feet both -- to a metal chair, in a dank stonework room he'd never seen before. There was no light, but since he was an elf it didn't matter; he could see the four people standing in front of him just fine.

He shook his head roughly, water flicking from his bangs. Think, stupid, think. Last thing he remembered was getting tipsy in a particularly boisterous bar. He was doing reconnaissance, which was a fancy word for scoping the nightlife in the capital city of whatever fucking world they'd landed on this time. Hylia? Hyperborea? Who cares. They'd all be so much interplanar chum in a year's time if they didn't find the Light.

Stop. Tangent. Refocus. He was in a bar. The booze had caught up to him. He'd gone to the bathroom. Then... fuzzy. He'd blacked out, or got a sack thrown over his head, or something. He vaguely remembered a sharp pain in his head? Now he was here.

So, unless that handsome tiefling he'd been chatting up was into some seriously kinky shit...

"I hope you're fucking happy," Taako said to the group of four. "My hair is ruined."

One of them, a big, broad-shouldered type with a shaved head, walked up and punched him in the mouth. A short, sharp strike, clearly pulled, and it still had Taako seeing stars. He tasted blood, copper in the back of his throat.

"Who are you?" one of the other three asked in an accented voice. Probably the leader? Shorter, much shorter, and leaner than his big bruiser buddy. No horns, but a tail. Part tiefling, maybe.

Taako shook his head to clear it. "I'm Taako," he said. "Y'know, from TV?"

The big man punched Taako across the forehead, this time with his other hand. That one made Taako dizzy.

"Where are you from?" the short one asked.

Taako's head lolled on his shoulders. He shrugged and breathed out a laugh. "I mean, where are any of us from, really? When you think about it--"

The big one hit him again, clean in the side of his head. Taako's ears rang. He didn't hear the next question the short one asked. Not that it mattered. Like he was going to tell them anything. Whoever the hell they were. They'd probably kill him, of course, which would suck. But it was a temporary problem at best, and as strong as his self-preservation instinct was, Taako's spite was, at this point, far, far stronger.

He'd very much like not to die, though. So he'd have to escape. Problem: he was still a bit hazy from the drinks. Or maybe they'd dosed him at some point. It was hard to focus, and he couldn't even cast a cantrip. He didn't carry anything like a weapon on him, and if he did, they'd have taken it anyway. Times like this he really wished he had a way to contact the ship. Hopefully Lup would get worried and come looking for him before these sons of bitches finished their Q&A sesh.

After he took too long to answer, the big man hit him again, a short jab to the nose that didn't hurt nearly as much as the last couple. Taako laughed out loud, and it must have looked downright ghoulish, because he saw the big one tense uncomfortably. Taako rolled his head in his direction and spit on the floor between them.

"Look, bub," he said with a smile. His voice sounded dull and muffled in his ears, like a recording played in another room. "You're gonna have to hit a whole lot harder than that--"

The next hit nearly knocked him out clean. It certainly loosened a tooth. Cool, now even if didn't die, he'd have to go an entire year without an incisor. Fun day he was having.

The short one asked something again. Taako blinked rapidly and leaned forward. "Sorry, what was that?"

"Why are you here?" the short one repeated, slower.

Taako glanced at the big one and shook his head. "'Cause I just love getting the high holy fuck beaten out of me," he said, and added quickly, "Listen, how about you tell me why you think I'm here, and then I'll nod for yes, shake for no, and wink for go fuck yourself."

The big one reared back, but the short one hissed, and he slowly lowered his hand. Taako grinned up at him and took some satisfaction in the disgusted grimace on his face.

"We'll continue this later," the short one said, and motioned to the others. They began to file out of the room.

"No, wait, don't go!" Taako called out. "I had him right where I wanted him!"

The big man looked over his shoulder before closing the door. Taako spit red on the floor again.

"Be seein' you, thug."

The man frowned and slammed the door shut.

Taako was alone, tied to a metal chair in a dark basement on a planet he knew next to nothing about. He had a busted up face, an upset stomach, a mild concussion, and no plan to get out.

He started singing under his breath.

_"She's a bad mama jama... just as fine she can be..."_


	2. Guilt

"What do you mean, _gone?"_ Lup shouted, hands on her hips.

"I mean," Magnus said, leaning forward, "that I turned my head for two seconds, and when I turned back he wasn't there anymore! I looked everywhere, circled for blocks around--"

Merle pushed him back onto the raised bed. "Hold still, would ya," he grumbled as he wrapped a bandage around Magnus' forearm. "This isn't just for show, y'know."

The medbay in the Starblaster was small, only two beds (one occupied by a wounded, shirtless Magnus) and some cabinets and mirrors and storage closets. Not meant for a journey longer than two months. The last several decades had seen it change significantly -- there were far more potted plants, mostly of a medicinal nature beyond the elvish peace lily in the corner -- but it hadn't grown in size. Which left Lup little room to pace when most of the crew was there.

They'd set the Starblaster down in a shaded copse of these very tall pines with white needles, good cover from the nearby city. Magnus had rushed in a few hours after he and Taako had left, with a torn jacket and a lot of blood from a long cut in his arm. Taako wasn't with him.

"How long ago? Where?" Davenport asked, arms crossed by the medbay door.

"This big bar, west side of town," Magnus said, somewhat sullen as Merle finished his work. "We were doin' recon, chattin' up the locals and getting a picture of the world, y'know, the usual stuff--"

"And?" Lup shouted. "What happened? Why weren't you with him?"

"I don't know!" Magnus shouted back. "Jeez, Lup, you think I don't know this was my fault?"

"Calm down, the both of you!"

They looked at their Captain. He glared at each of them in turn until they looked away.

"We all know getting mad doesn't help," he said soberly. "We've been at this a long time."

Lup glanced over her shoulder. Lucretia was studiously recording all the details of this conversation in one of her notepads, as always. Lup scowled.

"Babe." She felt Barry's hand on her shoulder. "It'll be alright."

The impulsive part of her nearly barked at him  _how would you know,_  but she managed to hold her tongue. She blew out a frustrated sigh.

"Captain's right," she admitted. "This isn't our first goat fuck."

Over her shoulder, she heard the scratching of Lucretia's pen stop abruptly. "Um."

"Colorful," Barry said dryly.

"Why would you fuck a goat?" Merle asked, confused and disgusted.

Magnus gave him a look. "I don't know, dude, why would you fuck a--"

"Magnus," Davenport cut him off. "Tell us everything. What did you see? Who attacked you?"

Merle tied off the bandage and clapped Magnus on the shoulder. He sat up immediately, elbows on his knees.

"I think..." He shook his head. "So, we got a few looks. When I said we were from out of town, folks seemed surprised by that. Way they were talking, it seemed like people didn't move around much."

"Cities do seem isolated," Barry offered, leaning against the other bed. "High walls, few roads. Not a lot of traffic. At least on this continent."

"What does this have to do with--"

The captain raised a hand, and Lup went quiet. She bit her tongue. _He'll be fine, he'll be fine. Keep it together, stupid._

"A couple people kept looking at us, after we walked in," Magnus continued. "Didn't seem too suspicious -- they were dressed like anybody else and I didn't see any weapons or wands or anything. But I kept one eye on 'em, and then they got up and left. Taako was still at the bar, chatting up this tiefling guy."

Lup groaned. "Of course he was."

Magnus shrugged. "I gave him a once-over. He didn't bother me as much as the other guys did."

"What were you doing during this?" Davenport asked. "And don't say staying sober."

All at once, Magnus' shoulders sagged and he started fiddling with his fingers. "I was sampling the local flavor, is all. And, uh. Maybe having an extended conversation with this nice halfling lady."

Lup spread her arms. "Dude!"

"Taako was fine!" Magnus said desperately. "He was -- I tried to head over to him and he kept waving me off!"

Lup snarled and started pacing again. "Asshole couldn't keep it in his pants for the first fucking night of recon--"

"The tiefling wasn't with him," Magnus said quickly, happy to have an answer. "He was still by the bar when I left. Lookin' like he got stood up."

Davenport nodded. His moustache bristled. "So Taako just disappears."

"I swear, it couldn't have been more than thirty seconds," Magnus said earnestly. "I look up, and I can't see him. I get up and wander around the bar, he's not there. I check the bathroom, nothing. I go outside, I circle the building, I start to go around the block, and then."

He gestured to his bandaged arm. "The two guys from the bar jump me. Drag me into an alley. One of them tried to get a sack over my head."

"You kill 'em?" Lup asked.

"At least one," Magnus said plainly.

"Good." Lup crossed her arms. "Fuckers."

"Any hint as to who they were?" Davenport asked. "What they wanted?"

Magnus shook his head. "I searched 'em after I put 'em down. No badges, no tattoos, no fancy signet rings. Not even any of the local currency. Just blackjacks, daggers, and corded rope."

Davenport lowered his gaze to the floor, eyes focused elsewhere. Magnus looked down at the bed. Lup started pacing again, running a hand through her hair.

"This is serious," Davenport said at last. "Taako wouldn't just wander off without telling Magnus where he was going. We have to assume he was taken by the same group that tried to take Magnus. It wasn't random. They picked them out of a crowd for a reason. And they were equipped for it."

"Professionals?" Barry asked.

Merle huffed. "What, like the mob?"

"Or the government." Lucretia closed her notebook, pocketed it. "There's precedent for that, at least."

They all got quiet. Barry caught Lup's hand as she passed, pulling her to a stop with a squeeze. Lucretia looked stricken. Davenport got a faraway look in his eye, and Merle patted him on the shoulder. Magnus fidgeted awkwardly, and Lup could recognize he was one good shout away from tears.

Everyone remembered cycle thirty three.

"How are we going to find him?" Lucretia asked, breaking the silence. "We don't know where they took him or who we're dealing with."

Davenport blinked, turned to Magnus. "Could you get us back to that tavern? Tonight?"

Magnus nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, it's not that far. Few miles in from where we parked the ship, if we head straight there and don't care about bein' subtle."

He nodded. "Then we start there."

"Hell yeah," Lup murmured, pecking the back of Barry's hand before pulling herself free.

Magnus swung his legs off the bed and grabbed his still-bloodied jacket from a hook on the wall. "My kinda plan."

"Wait, really?" Barry asked, glancing around the room. "We're just gonna snoop around at night and hope we don't get pinched too?"

"We stick together," the captain said. "No one goes anywhere alone."

"That'll draw a lot of attention," Lucretia said pointedly, heading for the door.

"So what?" said Lup. "Let 'em stare. I'll torch anyone who so much as--"

"Or we could just ask."

Everyone turned to Merle. He was leaning on Magnus' bed with his hand on his hip, staring at them all like they were idiots.

"Ask who?" Magnus asked.

Merle turned around, opened a drawer in a table. He turned back to the group and held out his hand, palm up, revealing a pencil. After a moment where the whole room looked suitably dumbfounded, he waved his other hand over the pencil, closed his eyes and murmured something.

A few seconds later, the pencil glowed with an ethereal light. It started to spin in Merle's hand, faster and faster, faster and faster, until...

It stopped, quivering. Its lead pointed east.

Merle opened his eyes and smirked. "So how's about everybody just follow me?"

Even after seventy years, there were times that Lup forgot just how much Merle brought to the crew. She threw her arms around his shoulders and nearly scooped him up into the air.  
  
"Pan bless your crunchy ass, Merle Highchurch."

"Alright, okay," he said with a laugh, patting her awkwardly on the back. "Save that for after we find him, huh?"


	3. Honesty

A couple hours after his captors left, they returned. Taako's eyes had had plenty of time to adjust to the darkness, so he was able to pick out more details.

The big one was a goliath, or this plane's equivalent -- gray skin with darker patches in symmetrical patterns across his body. The small one was almost certainly half-tiefling, with ruddy skin and a thin, pointed tail. The other two were elves, one a drow, both with close-cropped hair. They all wore plain clothes, jackets, pants and shoes. No jewelry, no tattoos, no makeup. Nothing special about any of them.

"Finally," Taako moaned as they filed in. "I've been waiting for hours. I'll have a banana daiquiri and an order of onion ri--"

The big man punched him in the nose. Taako felt blood trickle down to his mouth. God, he hoped his nose wasn't crooked the rest of the year.

"Who are you?" the small man asked again.

"Already told you, bocephus," Taako grumbled. "Name's Taako. Ain't gotten yours yet."

"Where are you from?"

"I mean, it's just rude not to introduce yourself," he continued. "Like, unbelievable, dude. I'd never do something like that, my auntie raised me right--"

This time the fist went straight into Taako's stomach. All the air rushed out of his lungs and he folded at the waist, eyes wide and wheezing.

"This will only continue until you cooperate," the small man said.

"Yeah," Taako gasped, eyes on the floor as he tried desperately to get his breath back. "Obviously."

The tiefling stepped forward. The big man grabbed Taako by the hair -- oh, he was really getting on Taako's last nerve, now -- and jerked his head up.

Mr. Tiefling had well-groomed hair, little vestigial horns that barely came to a point, and really creepy eyes. Dead and glassy, like a doll's. It was almost spooky, made Taako want to look away, but he knew he'd catch a fist for his trouble.

"We can put up with this far longer than you can," he said. "And we will, for as long as it takes. Until you answer our questions."

Taako grimaced and swallowed audibly. The small man stepped closer still.

"You are alone," he said. "No one knows where you are. No one is coming for you. You only have two choices: continue this pointless resistance and prolong your suffering, or answer our questions."

Taako breathed deeply through his mouth as he considered his options. Eventually, he nodded. The small man glanced at the goliath, and he released Taako's hair roughly.

"Now. Where are you--"

"Wait," Taako said, eyes on the floor. "Before I answer your questions, you've gotta answer one of mine."

The tiefling shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not how it works."

"Just one," Taako insisted. "I've... I've gotta know."

The man said nothing. Taako looked up and met his weird, dead eyes.

"Do you guys not have toothpaste here? Because I'm downwind and it's just a wildly unpleasant experience."

A pause. No reaction.

"Seriously, breath mints? Gum? Those weird dissolving strips that burn your tongue? Even a mouthful of gummi bears would be an impr--"

Taako gagged as a meaty hand wrapped around his neck. He tried to get out one more witty bon mot, but couldn't manage it.

The small man shook his head and turned around. "We can make this last as long as we need to," he said. "But we don't need all of you."

All of a sudden, the goliath had a knife. A big one. He flipped it in his hand and squeezed Taako's throat tighter, holding him steady.

"Don't move," the tiefling said. "This is a delicate operation. He might take more than the eye."

As the knife descended towards him, Taako considered his options. If he could focus, he might be able to cast a cantrip. Maybe Prestidigitation, some kind of noise or distraction. That would buy him some time. To do what? Eh, that could wait. He flexed his fingers, fought through the pain and the lack of oxygen, focused as hard as he could--

There was a loud bang from somewhere outside the room. Metal on stone. Everyone looked at the door.

"What was that?" one of the elves asked.

"I don't know," the tiefling said.

Taako heard the _whoosh_  of fire, and then someone shrieking. He grinned viciously in the goliath's grip.

"Come," the tiefling said curtly. "We'll finish this later."

The goliath glanced down at Taako and frowned at his expression. He released his throat and sheathed his knife as the others quickly left the room. He moved to follow them out, but stopped at the threshold and closed the door.

"Gonna finish this now, are we?" Taako asked with a bloody smirk.

"You won't answer him," the goliath rumbled.

"Observant."

"Why?" he asked with a frown. "They are simple questions. Silence means guilt."

"Guilt of what?"

"It doesn't matter."

Taako snorted. "Maybe not to you. But I haven't done shit."

"Then why antagonize?"

Taako stared at the goliath and his dull, serious expression. Outside, there was more shouting, from farther away. He straightened in his chair.

"You really wanna know?"

The big man nodded. Taako sighed wearily.

"You know where I was, last year?" he said flatly. "This fucked-up, blasted hellscape that didn't deserve a name. Nothing but volcanoes and rocks and sand and glass, lightning storms and salty rain. Just an absolute shithole. And that's before we met the locals.

"They were these purple motherfuckers. Weird, faceless meat people, with lumpy heads like clay. They could start fires with their mind, or some such shit -- I was never clear on the science. They were the only things that lived in that godforsaken place, and they spent all their time trying to kill us."

Taako spat on the floor. He could still taste the ash in his mouth.

"A whole year there," he said bitterly. "Harvesting edible moss from glowing caves and potable water from hot springs, just trying to stay alive. Two of my friends died, not that it actually matters. And y'know what? I was pissed when we found the Light. Like, genuinely fucking upset. Who the fuck cared what happened to that place? Who would miss it? Let the place get vored. No one had ever been there before, and no one would ever be again. Good fucking riddance."

The goliath frowned, confused. Taako didn't care. He glared at him angrily.

"You wanna know why I didn't answer that little bastard's questions?" Taako said through clenched teeth. "Because fuck him. Fuck him, and fuck you. Yeah, you've probably got your reasons for all this, based on a long, storied history of who the fuck cares. Maybe you're the local syndicate, or state secret police, or religious militia. Who gives a shit? In a year's time, you'll all be dead, or I'll never see you again, which is functionally the same thing."

Taako leaned forward, biting out his words with vicious enthusiasm.

"I'm tired. Tired of being dicked around. Tired of scraping by. But most of all, I'm tired of _caring._ About any of you. You want me to answer your questions? Fuck you. You want me to cooperate? Fuck you. You want me to care one iota whether you live or die? Fuck. You."

The goliath looked at him like he was nuts. Taako spat on the floor again.

"Did that answer your question?" he asked sardonically.

Someone ran by the door, their footsteps disappearing into the distance. Seconds later, Taako heard a loud explosion, followed by a scream that quickly grew and shrank in volume as whoever it was flew down the hall before crashing loudly into something heavy.

 _"She's a bad mama jama,"_ Taako sang cheerily. _"Just as fine as she can be."_

The goliath turned and went for the door.

"Wouldn't go out there, thug. It'll only end bad for ya."

The goliath gave him a disdainful look over his shoulder, then threw open the door and charged outside. He turned to his left, and Taako watched as a giant, flaming hand smacked into him at tremendous speed, knocking him from view.

"Told you," he said, sing-song.

Lup appeared in the doorway, her wand glowing a fiery, ethereal red. When she saw Taako, she nearly cried out in relief.

"Koko!" she shouted, throwing her arms around him.

"Hey, Lulu," he said, smiling into her shoulder. "What's the haps?"

"Are you okay?" she asked, pulling away. "Are you hurt?"

"You really need me to answer that?"

Lup cut him free with a couple quick bursts of fire, and Taako took a moment to be impressed at how good her spell-sculpting had gotten. He rolled his shoulders and pushed himself to his feet, at which point he promptly collapsed into her arms.

"Shit!" She turned toward the door. "Merle! Get in here!"

"Calm down, goofus," Taako groaned wearily. "My feet're asleep, is all."

Merle came anyway, supporting Taako as he walked unsteadily for the door. Magnus was waiting in the hallway, hefting his axe. The small tiefling lay propped up against a wall by his feet, pale as a ghost and cradling a stump where a hand used to be.

"Taako!" Magnus said, rushing forward. "Taako, I'm sorry--"

"Save it, bubeleh," Taako said curtly. "We're good. Where's our getaway?"

"Outside, hopefully," said Merle. "We, uh, kinda made a lotta noise, so--"

"Yeah, let's blow this falafel stand," Lup said. She hefted her brother's arm over her shoulders and started walking.

Taako glanced over his shoulder. At the end of a long stone hallway, the goliath lay in a pile of blackened, smoking wooden debris atop the drow. Taako couldn't tell if he was still breathing or not. He found he didn't really care either way.

As they passed the tiefling, the pale man looked up. Red stained his clothes, and he had one hand wrapped around the makeshift bandage of his plain jacket. His breathing was quick and shallow.

Taako knew, regardless of anything, that he would never see this man again. He gave him a grin and a wink, and nothing more.

By the time they reached a short stairway to the outside, Taako had feeling back in his feet. He clambered up the stairs, sandwiched between Magnus and Lup, and they emerged into a dark alleyway.

"Not even daylight yet," he mused.

"You really thought we'd waste any time?" Lup asked.

"Well," Taako drawled, as they led the way out into a street, "you were pretty mad I used the last of that brown sugar you'd been saving, so I thought, maybe--"

Lup caught him, brought him up short. She scowled at him, visibly upset.

"Don't even joke."

Taako blinked at her. His eyebrows rose softly, and he took a breath.

"M'sorry, Lup."

She hugged him again, tightly, and he hugged back.

"Hey, uh, guys?" Magnus said, pointing down the road. "Problem."

Lup pulled away and they all ran into the street. Several blocks down, three wagons blaring sirens were heading straight towards them.

"Oh, good," Merle said flatly. "That's fun."

"You got many spells left, Lup?" Magnus asked, lifting his axe.

Her hands caught fire. "Plenty."

"Hey, don't forget cha'boy," said Taako. "Anyone got a spare wand?"

"Here," Merle said, unzipping his fanny pack. "I think I've got--"

One of the wagons crashed into nothing, sending its occupants flying outward. The four of them stared as the second swerved around it and did the same.

"Uh." Magnus cocked an eyebrow as the third wagon turned and went into a skid, tipping over on its own. "Was that one of you, or...?"

"Wasn't me."

"Nope."

"Still waitin' on that wand."

Seconds later, the air above the road started shimmering, and a doorway opened out of thin air. It lowered like a gangplank and smacked into the cobblestone street with a  _bang._

"Ride's here!" Barry shouted. "Everybody on board!"

Magnus grinned and charged up and into the Starblaster as the exterior began to fade into view. Merle followed with a laugh, with Lup and Taako behind. Barry held up a hand, and Taako high-fived him.

"The illusions I get, Capnport's hella good," Taako said as the gangway closed behind them. "But I didn't even hear the ship."

"Lucretia's idea," Barry explained as they took off. "We cast Silence on the engines."

"That worked?"

Barry gave him an exaggerated shrug. Taako laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "Nice."


	4. Comfort

Lup walked up the stairs to the main deck, fiddling with one of the many golden bangles on her wrists. She'd waited in their quarters (mostly his, now that she and Barry were together) for the last two hours. The Starblaster wasn't that big, though. It didn't take long to find him.

Taako was by the railing with a cup of tea cradled in his hands, watching the ocean below through the ship's habitat field as they flew at a ridiculous speed. His cheek bulged briefly -- tonguing at the tooth that had loosened in his mouth. Even though Merle's healing spells had done their job, and it was solidly back in place.

"Not sleeping?"

He took a sip of his tea and waited for Lup to come up beside him, then offered her his cup. She took it.

"Don't feel like it," he said as she took a sip.

"Yeah," she replied quietly. "Me neither."

They stared out at the featureless horizon. There were only two continents on this planet and a lot of ocean. They were safe out here, inasmuch as anywhere was safe; after they'd ghosted from the capital city, they were persona non grata pretty much everywhere else. The only place left was the other, smaller continent, where they were headed now. Hopefully, they were more welcoming than their neighbors.

_Hopefully._

"Taako?"

He blinked, turned towards her. "What's up?"

Lup brushed a bit of her hair back behind her ear. It was getting too long; someone needed to cut it again. Definitely not Magnus, though, not again. Maybe Lucretia could do it?

"I got... kinda freaked out, back there." She forced a smile. It died quickly. "When you were gone."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." She shook her head. "You'd think I'd be used to it, by now. And I kind of am, honestly? But... I guess after last year, I just wanted so badly for us to be okay, for once. All of us."

"Yeah," he said. "I get it."

She handed him back his tea. He took a sip.

"How about you?" she asked. "You feelin' alright, baby brother?"

He shrugged. "You know me, Lulu."

"That's why I'm asking."

Taako sneered a little, staring at nothing. "Just a little of the ol' ennui, baby sister."

Lup always knew when he was being evasive. She hated it when he did it to her, and made that clear in the tone of her voice. "Taako."

He sighed. "C'mon, Lulu," he whined softly.

Lup took the cup from his hands and set it on the railing. She wrapped her fingers around his, always a bit cooler than hers.

"We have to keep fighting, Taako," she said. "We can't give up."

"Not about to give up," he mumbled, looking away from her. "Not on you, anyway."

"Me?"

"All of you," he amended. "But sometimes... I dunno."

"Sometimes what?" Lup leaned into his vision. "C'mon, Koko. Talk to me."

Taako met her eyes. He looked sick.

"Sometimes it's... hard to care," he said. "About anyone else. I don't know how you do it."

Lup scoffed. "What, you think it's easy for me? It's not."

His eyebrows rose. "Yeah?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

The worry didn't quite leave his eyes. Lup wasn't sure if that was the right thing to say to comfort him or not, but it was the truth. She wasn't about to lie to her brother. Not now.

She pulled him into a hug. Taako rested his head on her shoulder.

"It's been a hard, weird life we've led, baby brother," she murmured. "And it ain't over yet. But we'll get through it with our hearts intact. By hook or by crook."

He nodded against her shoulder, and Lup felt an almost violent surge of affection. Life could do what it wanted with her, she could take it. But it would not -- _would not_ \-- hurt her brother.

"By hook or by crook," Taako said, his smile evident in his voice. "Listen to you."

"Shut up."

"Sound more like auntie every day."

"Don't make me step on your foot."

Taako snickered. When they pulled apart, she thought Taako's eyes were shining. Her imagination, of course. She smiled, and he smiled back.

"Don't lose hope," she said. "Okay?"

He took her hand and squeezed.

"With you around? Never."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to the most excellent loquaciousquark for editing this!
> 
> Wanna badger me into posting more? Hit me up on tumblr @mystery-moose!


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